Muhammad Zarqtuni (, ) (1927-June 18, 1954) was a Moroccan nationalist born in

Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

. He was active in the Moroccan Nationalist Movement and is considered a symbol of Moroccan resistance to French colonialism.

Early life

Muhammad Zarqtuni was born in the Medina of Casablanca in 1927. His mother was Khudooj Bint Reis of Fes and his father was the ''muqqadim'' of the Hamdushiya Zawiya, where Muhammad Zarqtuni learned to read and write. He soon enrolled at the Abdellaoui School, a school for learning

hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...

within the network of schools independent of the French system, administered by Moroccan nationalists in the early 1940s. Between the ages of 15 and 16, he decided that he wanted financial independence, so he left school in order to work. However, he did not abandon his studies; he read Western media in French—particularly those with a political dimension—and Eastern media written in Arabic. Through these readings, he opened up to what was happening around him in Morocco, in the Maghreb, in the Arab world, and in the world, and he developed an awareness of his environment. This development happened within a particular political and historical context, namely that of the post-World War II period and the wave of decolonization movements in Africa that followed, and there's no doubt that these events had a profound impact on him.

From sports to resistance

Passionate about soccer, Zarqtuni played for the Mawludiat Bou Tawiil Club () in 1948 and recruited the youth of the medina. He was made the manager of a championship tournament for clubs representing different neighborhoods in Casablanca. Certain athletic organizations, such as the Free Soccer League, which organized the neighborhood championship, had nationalist leanings. From this league, many notable nationalists, such as Abdeslam Bennani ( fr), Abderrahman el-Youssoufi, Abderrahman Belmejdoub ( fr), and others rose up. Zarqtuni became a

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom ** Scouts BSA, sect ...

and, through this, he became affiliated with the Istiqlal Party. He worked on the party's logistics commission and commission for organizing events held by the party in Casablanca.

Resistance activities

Having discovered the limits of civil, political resistance against General Alphonse Juin and his administration, he founded, with his friends including Abbas Messaâdi, the first clandestine cells of the armed Moroccan urban resistance. Expanding these cells across the entire city, he quickly formed relations with other urban networks. He organized training sessions in weapon handling and became one of the leaders of the Secret Resistance Organization, along with Abderrahmane Senhaji.

Arms smuggling

Several operations were carried out. Zarqtuni organized missions to smuggle arms to Marrakesh.

Central Market Operation

In response to the French government's colonial abuses generally, and its ousting of Sultan Muhammad V and forcing him into exile on August 20, 1953 (

Eid al-Adha Eid al-Adha () is the second of the two main festivals in Islam alongside Eid al-Fitr. It falls on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijja, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar. Celebrations and observances are generally carried forward to the ...

) specifically, Muhammad Zarqtuni attacked Casablanca's Central Market () on December 24, 1953 (Christmas Eve). Targeting French interests, he planted a bomb in the market at 10:00 am, and the explosion caused the death of 19 people. He escaped the shots fired at him after the operation, but was captured by the forces of the French Protectorate shortly thereafter. On June 18, 1954, while imprisoned, he committed suicide by swallowing a cyanide tablet. Possessing critical and sensitive information, Zarqtuni did not want to risk giving up any secrets under torture that might betray his country. He is widely regarded as a national hero in Morocco, and as an icon of the resistance movement. One of Casablanca's main thoroughfares, ''Boulevard Zerqtouni'' , is named after him.

Family

Muhammad Zarqtuni married Saadia Alami, also a nationalist and resistance fighter. She was born in Fes in 1936. Khaddouj Zarqtuni was the sister of Muhammad and she also participated in the resistance in Casablanca.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zerktouni, Mohammed People who died by suicide in prison custody Istiqlal Party politicians Moroccan nationalists Suicides by cyanide poisoning 1927 births Pages with unreviewed translations 1954 suicides 1954 deaths Suicides in Morocco